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That is the simple and pointed message that New York City regulators and business officials are forcefully seeking to convey to a commercial audience that they feel is underrepresented in metro business opportunities.

A national article pointing to a mass retailer's current financial challenges notes a collective nemesis that is sorely testing mall-based fixtures across the country.

Its authors spotlight "digital competition, nimble physical competitors and smartphone shopping" for the demise of many national names and brands that for decades appeared to have flawless business models.

If you're the owner of a small or medium-sized New York business, your euphoria over recently announced changes to American tax law is understandable. Company principals all across the country have waited for years for tax changes they say have been sorely needed to restore vitality to the country's commercial sector. Tax revision has long been imperative, they say, to render them leaner and more competitive, better able to buy needed equipment and, importantly, to bring in new workers to their enterprises.

Now that such changes are immediately in the proverbial rear-view mirror, it seems reasonably logical why many business executives might want to move forward with dispatch to take fullest advantage of new benefits.

We noted in our immediately preceding blog post that successful business entrepreneurs and owners seldom adopt a stay-put philosophy. We stressed therein (please see our January 20 entry) that what that means for many enterprises in New York and nationally is "a continuing assessment of moves a business might reasonably take to remain strong and viable going forward."

Proactivity rather than passivity is what that implies, with such a mindset being on clear display currently among principals with medium-sized companies across the United States.

If you are a principal in a New York business enterprise, you know that a mindset and performance levels based upon an ongoing status quo ultimately spell a recipe for failure.

Proven managers in companies in the New York City metro area and all across the state know that resting on past accomplishments and being complacent regarding evolving market realities will not consistently yield winning results in the future.

On behalf of Howard Magaliff of Rich Michaelson Magaliff, LLP posted in blog on Thursday, January 11, 2018.

Business debt can significantly harm your company's future. Business owners struggling to get out of debt have a few different options, depending on the structure of their business and the amount of debt.

The most important thing to do if you are worried about your business debt is to work with an experienced attorney to explore all of your options. You should not make any decisions about paying off debt, responding to creditors or filing for bankruptcy without consulting with your lawyer.

We would like to acknowledge and thank our readers and diverse business clients in New York and across the country in this first blog post of the New Year. We wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2018.

We know that a portion of our readership comprises principals - ranging from entrepreneurs to established business owners - in the vast and sprawling retail world.

We note a quick truth on our business law website for commercial enterprises eyeing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing as a viable strategy to overcome daunting financial and legal challenges.

And that is this: Although filing for corporate bankruptcy might well be an optimal response for an embattled business, "it is not always the only option available and should not [uniformly] be the first alternative."

Although one business analyst/commentator writing on the nation's economic outlook makes a number of points in a recent article penned for a national newspaper, those observations essentially coalesce around one fundamental takeaway.

And that is this: Next year could be a real bell ringer for business production and growth, both across the United States and globally.

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Rich Michaelson Magaliff, LLP, is a commercial law firm based in New York City. In addition to serving many clients in the NYC metropolitan area and throughout New York, our attorneys frequently collaborate with other law firms located around the country and internationally.